The Green Bay Packers are heading into offensive line hell. Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele is potentially out for the season after suffering a knee injury against the New York Jets on Sunday. Left guard Aaron Banks left the game with a toe injury after already managing a previous knee ailment. Backup left guard Donovan Jennings exited with a hand injury, and right guard Jacob Monk played through a stinger down the stretch that leaves his health in question as well.

The Packers’ depth at the position group has been gutted, and general manager Brian Gutekunst may need to act quickly to stabilize the situation as much as possible.

Green Bay has only six healthy offensive linemen on the 53-man roster: Jordan Morgan, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton, Jager Burton, John Williams, and Travis Glover. With Williams and Glover inactive against the Jets, the coaching staff considered playing Tucker Kraft at tackle at some point, but Monk was able to get back.

The practice squad adds four more bodies in tackle Dalton Cooper, rookie guards Josh Gesky and Dillon Wade, and veteran Cordell Volson, who was signed last week. That’s a thin margin for a team now dealing with mounting injuries at most spots along the line.

Practice squad targets with Packers familiarity

The Packers could look to sign players off other teams’ practice squads, and two names stand out because of their recent ties to Green Bay.

The first is Darian Kinnard, a player whom the Packers traded for last year, giving up a sixth-round pick to acquire him from the Philadelphia Eagles. Kinnard played guard snaps in preseason, but had 219 tackle snaps and 66 snaps as a sixth offensive lineman for Green Bay in the regular season last year. However, a difficult training camp and preseason this year led to his release. He’s now on the New York Giants’ practice squad, and the Packers could sign him directly to their active roster.

The second is tackle Brant Banks, a developmental player who spent most of his rookie season and his second training camp with the Packers before being waived during final roster cuts. Banks is now on the Jets’ practice squad. Both players know the system and could contribute right away if needed.

Other practice squad options around the league

Beyond former Packers, several players on other teams’ practice squads could warrant consideration. Esa Pole from the Washington Commanders played extensively at left tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs last year, giving him meaningful NFL experience. Other names include Chase Lundt from the Buffalo Bills, Blake Freeland from the Cincinnati Bengals, Wanya Morris from the Dallas Cowboys, and Kiran Amegadjie from the Philadelphia Eagles. All bring some combination of talent and experience.

One important caveat applies to all practice squad signings from other teams, though. The player must remain on the active roster for at least three weeks. The Packers would have to pay that player’s salary and occupy a roster spot for that entire stretch. This is not a one-week rental situation, but a mid-term commitment at minimum.

Veteran free agents as alternatives

If Green Bay prefers to avoid the three-week roster commitment, the free agent market offers a different path. The Packers could sign a veteran to the practice squad first, then promote him to the active roster when ready, mirroring the process they used with Volson last week.

The most obvious name is Kevin Zeitler, a guard with extensive NFL experience who played for the Tennessee Titans last season. Taylor Decker is another option. The longtime Detroit Lions left tackle was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2024, but he showed signs of decline last year and remains unsigned at 33 years old. It’s unclear where his physical situation stands at this point, though he wants to continue playing.

Mekhi Becton offers positional versatility. He played well for the Philadelphia Eagles two years ago and won a Super Bowl at guard, then signed a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Chargers last season that didn’t work out. Across his career with the Jets, Eagles, and Chargers, Becton has logged 1,621 snaps at left tackle, 1,636 snaps at right guard, 101 snaps at right tackle, and one snap at left guard.

James Daniels is another versatile interior option. He signed with the Miami Dolphins last year but barely played after suffering an early-season injury. Before that, Daniels built a strong resume with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers. His career snap distribution has 1,626 snaps at left guard, 3,437 snaps at right guard, and 508 snaps at center.

Bringing in an offensive lineman during the season is never easy, especially at a position group that relies on cohesion and communication. But the Packers already demonstrated a willingness to do it by adding Volson last week. With the volume of new injuries that surfaced against the Jets, Green Bay could explore several of these scenarios over the next few days and weeks.